Providence Kids Teachers FAQ

1. With whom can I share a copy of my class roll?

You are not authorized to give your roll to anyone. Parents give their family information to the church and trust that we will not misuse that information. Children’s Ministry feels handing out that information to anyone but classroom teachers would be a breach of that trust.

Through the years we have heard a variety of reasons why we should share the roll with parents (for birthday party invites, or to find out which children are in my child’s class). We don’t feel these would justify sharing the roll.

Now, we realize that if a parent were to substitute teach even once in the class, they would have access to the roll. If a parent is that interested in seeing the roll, then tell them we have teaching openings during all three hours.

2. Are we a peanut-free ministry?

No. While we do not serve snacks with peanuts, we cannot claim to be peanut-free for a few reasons:

• We do not know if the snacks we buy, or those donated and leftover from SSA, are processed in a plant that also makes peanut snacks or have peanut oils, etc.
• On Sunday morning we do not have anyone to coordinate appropriate snacks for children with particular allergies. We have one lone cookie person who has to distribute snacks for more than 200 children. We do our best but can’t make any guarantees.
• Probably the biggest reason we are not peanut free: we cannot control what every child has for breakfast. In children with severe peanut allergies, even being near a child who had peanut butter for breakfast and may still have some on his hand, mouth or clothing can be hazardous. Our inability to control this is another reason we cannot claim to be peanut free.

3. Can parents come in (and stay) with their children in the classroom?

We cannot allow parents we do not know to remain in the classroom for a few reasons: 

• Distraction from teaching: Without meaning to, parents are a distraction to the classroom dynamics
• Security and safety: It is the policy of Providence that adults in the classroom have been trained on safety procedures (evacuation, medical emergencies, etc.) as well as have a background check. Allowing parents in the classroom may be helpful to their own child, but it possibly puts all the other children at risk.

4. What is your evacuation plan?

1. Learn your evacuation route, tonight!
2. Stay calm
3. Line up the kids
4. Take your roll
5. Go to the corner of the back parking that is nearest your evacuation route.
6. Wait there for further instructions 

On your way there:

1. Keep your class together.
2. Please don’t let kids go with parents while you are en route.
3. Instead, engage parents to help you get the class out.  

How do I know I need to evacuate?

When you hear the fire alarm (don’t worry, you’ll know) proceed with the plan.  Don’t wonder if it’s real or wait for a staff person to come running down the hall screaming “Fire!”

5. What is the policy for teachers being alone with children?

An adult shouldn’t be alone with one child. If necessary, one teacher can be left alone with a group of children.For example, if there are two teachers in the room and you need something from the Resource Room, one teacher may go get the supplies and leave the other teacher in the class with all the children. The teacher leaving the classroom may not take a child along. However, you can bring two ‘helpers’ with you to the Resource Room, but not one. If you are on the playground and a child needs to go to the bathroom, bring in two children, not one, to use the bathroom.

What about the atrium area?
Can I take a child to the slide if for some reason they need to get out of the room (i.e. special needs children)? Because of the traffic in the atrium even in the middle of the hour, a teacher may bring one child there. The playground is too isolated to apply here, so the atrium is the only place a teacher can take a child alone. The atrium is the lobby of the children’s building where the slide is.

A note about strolling.
This policy is why we ask babies teachers to only stroll on the Children’s Hallways and in the courtyard. You are always visible and accountable. We allow courtyard strolling because of the classes coming and going.

One final note.
This is for your protection. We take our teacher selection very seriously and pray over each one of you before you go into a classroom. Once you are in a classroom, we want to protect everyone in the classroom and help all stay above reproach. 

6. What kind of literature can I distribute from my classroom?

Only that which has been generated from the Children’s Ministry Office (It will be promoting Children’s Ministry Events only a few times a year).